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Fandemonium, issue 2, Summer 1948

Page 5

day. After Max leaves, the rest of Caspar's diabolical scheme is learned. According to the pact with the Black Huntsman, the first six bullets obey their owner, but the seventh finds its mark as Samiel pleases, and immediately the person that has made the bargain is claimed by the Evil One. Caspar knows that Max has fired three of the bullets, so he fires three himself, thus leaving the seventh for his rival which he hopes Samiel will direct to Agathe, afterward claiming Max. Thus Caspar will have earned his reprieve. 

In the next scene, Agathe and Aennchen are getting ready for the wedding with the latter still trying to dispell [sic] Agathe's misgivings and sense of dread by telling some of her own brand of horror stories. When the Bridal Wreath arrives and is opened, they find that a mistake has been made and instead there is a silver wreath for the dead. However, Aennchen, undaunted, takes the holy roses the hermit had given Agathe and fashions a garland out of them. 

As the final scene opens, Cuno, Prince Ottokar, Max and others are gathered for the trial short which Max is supposed to make soon; Caspar has climbed a tree so that he can see better the downfall of his rival, all the time calling upon Samiel to help him. The Prince gives the command, Max unloads his gun and prepares to fire at a white dove in a tree nearby when Agathe comes upon the scene and cries that if he kills the dove, she dies. At this, the dove flies to the tree Caspar is in and when Max fires at it, the holy roses worn by Agathe save her and the seventh bullet finds its mark in Caspar who falls to the ground as Samiel appears from the earth. He has betrayed Caspar and come to claim him as his payment, and as the hapless victim dies his last words are a curse upon the traitorous Black Huntsman and Heaven simultaneously. His body is then taken and cast into Wolf's Glen.

The Prince demands an explanation from Max, who tells him the whole story. Ottokar, angry at this deed of darkness albeit innocently committed, banishes Max forever and refuses to let him have Agathe. The others intercede for Max, however, and when the Hermit appears and tells them all of the rewards of tolerance, the Prince relents and gives Max one year to redeem himself, after which he shall have another chance. At the Hermit's suggestion he also abolishes the trial shot from that day onward. As the two lovers express their gratitude to the higher power that has saved them, with the others joining, the opera comes to a close.

With the German populace of Weber's day delighting in frightening themselves with the unknown, it can be imagined that the work was received enthusiastically, but Weber did not rely on a terrifying plot and excellent staging technique alone. He combined with these, some of his most ingenious themes and the music he provided for atmosphere and background of overshadowing terror is some of the best for sheer strangeness.

"DER FREISCHUTZ" is seldom presented in its entirely over standard broadcast channels, but I have heard it over international short-wave. And since Weber was one of the earlier ones to use themes from the body of the opera in the overture, one can gather some idea of the whole thing from this part, which is easily available on record. Though I have always scoffed at the idea of music conveying the same impression to different people or "painting pictures with sound", still I must admit that the overture does a remarkable job of putting the audience in a receptive mood for strange events. In it all the attitudes of the characters are apparent along with the brooding evil over present, and the conclusion triumphantly tells of the victory over the darker powers. "DER FREISCHUTZ" is worth the attention of anyone interested in fantasy, and I urge a closer investigation. Happy hunting! ---Andy Lyon
5

Saving...

day. After Max leaves, the rest of Caspar's diabolical scheme is learned. According to the pact with the Black Huntsman, the first six bullets obey their owner, but the seventh finds its mark as Samiel pleases, and immediately the person that has made the bargain is claimed by the Evil One. Caspar knows that Max has fired three of the bullets, so he fires three himself, thus leaving the seventh for his rival which he hopes Samiel will direct to Agathe, afterward claiming Max. Thus Caspar will have earned his reprieve. In the next scene, Agathe and Aennchen are getting ready for the wedding with the latter still trying to dispell [sic] Agathe's misgivings and sense of dread by telling some of her own brand of horror stories. When the Bridal Wreath arrives and is opened, they find that a mistake has been made and instead there is a silver wreath for the dead. However, Aennchen, undaunted, takes the holy roses the hermit had given Agathe and fashions a garland out of them. As the final scene opens, Cuno, Prince Ottokar, Max and others are gathered for the trial short which Max is supposed to make soon; Caspar has climbed a tree so that he can see better the downfall of his rival, all the time calling upon Samiel to help him. The Prince gives the command, Max unloads his gun and prepares to fire at a white dove in a tree nearby when Agathe comes upon the scene and cries that if he kills the dove, she dies. At this, the dove flies to the tree Caspar is in and when Max fires at it, the holy roses worn by Agathe save her and the seventh bullet finds its mark in Caspar who falls to the ground as Samiel appears from the earth. He has betrayed Caspar and come to claim him as his payment, and as the hapless victim dies his last words are a curse upon the traitorous Black Huntsman and Heaven simultaneously. His body is then taken and cast into Wolf's Glen. The Prince demands an explanation from Max, who tells him the whole story. Ottokar, angry at this deed of darkness albeit innocently committed, banishes Max forever and refuses to let him have Agathe. The others intercede for Max, however, and when the Hermit appears and tells them all of the rewards of tolerance, the Prince relents and gives Max one year to redeem himself, after which he shall have another chance. At the Hermit's suggestion he also abolishes the trial shot from that day onward. As the two lovers express their gratitude to the higher power that has saved them, with the others joining, the opera comes to a close. With the German populace of Weber's day delighting in frightening themselves with the unknown, it can be imagined that the work was received enthusiastically, but Weber did not rely on a terrifying plot and excellent staging technique alone. He combined with these, some of his most ingenious themes and the music he provided for atmosphere and background of overshadowing terror is some of the best for sheer strangeness. "DER FREISCHUTZ" is seldom presented in its entirely over standard broadcast channels, but I have heard it over international short-wave. And since Weber was one of the earlier ones to use themes from the body of the opera in the overture, one can gather some idea of the whole thing from this part, which is easily available on record. Though I have always scoffed at the idea of music conveying the same impression to different people or "painting pictures with sound", still I must admit that the overture does a remarkable job of putting the audience in a receptive mood for strange events. In it all the attitudes of the characters are apparent along with the brooding evil over present, and the conclusion triumphantly tells of the victory over the darker powers. "DER FREISCHUTZ" is worth the attention of anyone interested in fantasy, and I urge a closer investigation. Happy hunting! ---Andy Lyon 5